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Insurance
Gateway shuts the door on benefits enhancement: Indianapolis company will cease operations Aug. 30; CEO hopes to reopen
August 7, 2006
Tom MurphyGateway Medical Resource Alliance, a niche health care benefits company, will shut down Aug. 30, more than a month after losing
the lone Indianapolis hospital in its network. The company, which has shrunk to six workers, provides employers discounts
for certain cardiology, orthopedics and oncology care. In return for fees from the employers, Gateway offers flat, all-inclusive
prices for procedures. It also offers prescription and wellness services. CEO Terry Kopp said he still hopes to find another
hospital to resuscitate...
MoreInsurers still dealing with deluge of claims: Good Friday storms among costliest in state history
August 7, 2006
Scott OlsonProperty and casualty insurers are taking a financial beating over the spring hailstorm that pounded homes and vehicles in
central Indiana. Damage from the Good Friday deluge resulted in a flood of Hoosier insurance claims: 177,000 so far totaling
$560 million, making it one of the costliest weather catastrophes in state history, according to the New Jerseybased Insurance
Services Office. Overall, Indiana topped the nation in the total amount of insured losses-$658.5 million-during the second
quarter, according to the ISO....
MoreLet's throw energy into public safety: We ignore crime at our peril
August 7, 2006
When yet another media story appears about jail overcrowding, it's tempting to look away, to focus instead on rising gas prices,
out-of-control health insurance costs or other pressing problems confronting your company. But make no mistake: Crime is a
business issue. And it is escalating. Major offenses reported to the Indianapolis Police Department through April were up
22 percent over the first four months of 2005. Probably fueling that increase are the growing numbers of inmates being released
early from...
MoreNew state rule changes annuity landscape: Indiana regulators place burden on the seller to decide what's right for the buyer
August 7, 2006
Tom MurphyNo 75-year-old retiree should drop his or her life savings into an annuity that imposes a 10-year wait before the first payment.
Indiana regulators understand this basic investment rule, and they want to ensure that the people who sell annuities follow
it as well. The state Department of Insurance now places the burden of deciding whether an annuity is right for a consumer
over age 65 on the seller, thanks to a new rule that started July 1. It requires...
MoreWorkers can help lower health costs:
July 31, 2006
Philip T.Health care costs keep small-business owners up at night. According to Forbes magazine, the cost of health care is rising
at three times the rate of inflation. Because demand for medical treatment will continue to grow as Americans age, insurance
premiums will continue to increase. Some small-business owners' first reaction is to shift rising costs to employees. Others
simply eliminate health insurance benefits altogether. While this reduces expenses and raises profit in the short term, it
ruins a company's ability...
MoreBIZ BASICS: Use new savings accounts to cover medical expenses
July 31, 2006
Daniel KehrerAnd with no end in sight to the cost crunch, the prognosis is poor. Panicked business owners now cite the rising cost of health
insurance as their top concern. They know that workers value their medical coverage, but as owners they feel trapped-they
must either pass along rate hikes or cut benefits entirely. A relatively new health plan option offers hope. Health savings
accounts work in IRA-like fashion to cover out-ofpocket medical costs with tax-sheltered money. An HSA is an...
MoreFAMILY BUSINESS: Reorganize family business to treat all children fairly
July 31, 2006
Eric ManterfieldMany family-business owners have children who work with them in the business as well as children who do not. The challenge
they face is simply put: How can they treat fairly those children who will not inherit the business? There may not be enough
non-business assets to give to the children who don't work in the business. Life insurance, payable to the non-business children,
is sometimes suggested, if the business owner is insurable and the premiums are affordable. Some estate...
MoreMainSource grabs opportunities for growth: Greensburg-based bank not shy about acquisitions
July 24, 2006
Scott OlsonHonda Motor Co.'s decision to build a massive auto manufacturing plant near Greensburg has the small Decatur County town abuzz
with excitement. But a company already entrenched there is making some noise of its own. MainSource Financial Group Inc. has
increased assets an impressive 50 percent during the past year largely due to four acquisitions made by the publicly traded
bank holding company. "We're a little opportunistic," admitted MainSource President and CEO James Saner. "We really want to
grow, give...
MoreInvestment firm taps local talent: Riderwood opens office, targets mid-size companies
July 24, 2006
Scott OlsonAn East Coast investment-banking firm is opening an Indianapolis office and has recruited three high-profile professionals
who bring a wealth of experience to manage operations. Towson, Md.-based The Riderwood Group Inc. wants to help midsize companies
raise $5 million to $200 million in capital, a range largely ignored here by outside rivals, firm executives said. "There
really is not a national mid-market investment bank [in Indianapolis]," company President Mitchell Fillet said. "This is a
place where the big firms have...
MoreHitching its wagon to central Indiana: Wells Fargo quietly lassoes big share of local loans
July 24, 2006
Matthew KishHow big is the portfolio? Very big. How does it stack up to its rivals? Nobody knows for sure. The Federal Deposit Insurance
Corp. requires banks to report the deposits they hold at branches, but it doesn't require banks to spell out how much commercial
business they're generating geographically. "It's one of the biggest frustrations of the bank information that we [compile],"
said Karen Dorway, president of Bauer Financial Inc., a Coral Gables, Fla.-based bank rating service that tracks market...
MoreConseco takes fresh look at product development: New strategy emphasizes shared resources, efficiency
July 17, 2006
Tom MurphyConseco Inc. rolled out a fresh blueprint for product development earlier this year, and it was high time the insurer did
so, say analysts who follow the company. The Carmel-based holding company is combining the resources of its subsidiaries and
developing a corporate-wide system to pump out products more efficiently for its two main operating segments, Conseco Insurance
Group and Chicago-based Bankers Life. It hopes to see results soon. Conseco Insurance Group launched only four new products
in 2004 and...
MoreIndiana midwife debate headed for another round: Committee to study issue; bill set to be reintroduced
July 17, 2006
Tracy DonhardtA bill that would give women what some say is their right to choose where and how they can give birth has been incubating
in the state's General Assembly for eight years. But hopes are running high for the proposed law that would regulate and expand
midwifery in Indiana because it will be studied by a special committee this summer for a possible reintroduction in the 2007
legislative session. Under current Indiana law, only doctors and registered nurses are able...
MoreMoratorium nearing its expiration date: Experts don't expect flurry of new specialty hospitals
July 17, 2006
Scott OlsonHealth care experts don't predict a surge in specialty hospital construction after a federal moratorium expires next month.
Even so, the rift between competing industry interests is expected to intensify. Moratoriums on new physician-owned heart,
orthopedic and surgical specialty hospitals dating back to the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 temporarily stalled the
rapid growth of the facilities. In Indianapolis, three such hospitals-the Heart Center of Indiana, the Indiana Heart Hospital
and the Indiana Orthopaedic Hospital-opened between December 2002 and March...
MoreVIEWPOINT: Consumers should take charge of health
July 17, 2006
David LeeIn an environment where we're all being asked to pay a larger share of our own health care costs, it's interesting to see
how little time we spend thinking about major decisions that have an impact on our health. Like selecting a primary care physician
or any medical specialist, for example. According to a recent Managed Care Weekly Digest survey, 67 percent of U.S. adults
ages 18-64 said they spent eight hours or more researching an automobile purchase, yet only...
MoreWestview soldiers on amid health care explosion: Hospital fares well against larger, newer competition
July 10, 2006
Tom MurphyA touch-screen directory, a grove of potted trees and a muffin-bearing kiosk greet visitors entering the six-story atrium
at the new Clarian North Medical Center in Carmel. A much milder scene awaits people walking into Westview Hospital a few
miles away, on the west side of Indianapolis. There, a lonely player piano spills soft tunes into a one-story lobby filled
with clusters of chairs and pamphlets on volunteering. "Quiet! Healing in Progress" reads a nearby sign. Indiana's lone osteopathic
hospital...
MoreBank boss eyes No. 1: New Fifth Third chief plans expansion, faces tough Chase
July 10, 2006
Matthew KishThe view from John Pelizzari's 14th-floor office in downtown's Capital Center is a good one. The recently hired president
and CEO of Cincinnati-based Fifth Third Bancorp's central Indiana operations can see the rooftops of many of downtown's landmarks.
And he likes it that way. He's used to the view from the top. From 2001 to 2005, Pelizzari, 50, captained the ship for Fifth
Third's northern Michigan affiliate, which enjoyed a whopping 28-percent market share, more than 10 percentage points higher...
MoreWork still elusive for people with disabilities: Employment rates remain stagnant even though a wealth of programs are finding
success placing workers
July 3, 2006
Scott OlsonThe lesson Amy Kurzekwa taught the folks at the downtown Gregory & Appel Insurance agency reaches far beyond what they learned
about premiums and deductibles. Since 1992, she has taken the bus to her job there as a clerical assistant, performing such
tasks as sorting and delivering the office mail and filling the copy machines. While most anyone can do that, Kurzekwa, 37,
is irreplaceable to her co-workers. Her role in opening their eyes to the fact that people with...
MoreDoctor takes on state over Medicaid payments: Psychiatrist claims he's being forced out of business
July 3, 2006
Tom MurphyA Franklin psychiatrist has accused the state agency that runs Medicaid of suffocating his practice in a reimbursement dispute
that dates back more than a year. Dr. John Lewis said the weekly Medicaid checks that keep his Harmony Center open dwindled
to nothing for four straight weeks after he filed a lawsuit in April against the state Family and Social Services Administration
over a payment review it imposed. The psychiatrist believes his center may survive only another month, a closing...
MoreBilling survey puts WellPoint in last: Insurer calls 'pain in the butt' index flawed, but some doctors say findings aren't
surprising
June 26, 2006
Tom MurphyA physician-billing service recently gave WellPoint Inc. a virtual spanking over its sometimesstrained relationship with doctors.
M a s s a c h u s e t t s - b a s e d Athenahealth Inc. rated the Indianapolis insurer last out of seven national payers in
its so-called "pain in the butt" index posted online late last month. The unusual index aims to tell doctors how easy-or difficult-it
is to work with each insurer by using data the...
MoreEmployee privacy a sensitive legal issue:
June 26, 2006
Julie ManningFor all businesses, especially small companies, the best way to approach potential legal issues is proactively: spending time
crafting policies and procedures today can save significant headaches-and attorney fees-down the road. This is especially
true for the thorny issue of privacy in the workplace. While the right to privacy isn't enumerated specifically in the Constitution,
it remains a closely guarded prerogative for most Americans. Harris polls consistently show that more than 85 percent of respondents
are concerned about the erosion...
MoreRETURN ON TECHNOLOGY: Have businesses given in to security anxiety?
June 26, 2006
Tim AltomAccording to the mainstream media, no sooner is your precious data placed on a hard drive than it's promptly vacuumed off
through a hacker's hole and inserted into some miscreant's illicit schemes for world domination. I admit I've advocated for
computer security for years, but that was because most companies' idea of security is to hide the backup CDs in the coffee
creamer box. I never meant to contribute to the panic that seems to have gripped the American population...
MoreECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Health care cost 'solutions' only worsen the problems
June 26, 2006
Patrick BarkeyAs an economic forecaster, I am almost always optimistic. But that's not a personality trait. It's the nature of the business.
The economy around us is doing amazingly well. We've had much longer economic expansions, steady job and income growth, and
less frequent recessions for more than two decades now. So when you deliver an optimistic forecast these days, you stand a
pretty good chance of being right. But if there's one area where my optimism vanishes, it is this-how...
MoreQuality Roofing Services: Success helps roofers sleep through the night After surviving a rough first year, company shows
signs of progress
June 19, 2006
Susan RaccoliAfter surviving a rough first year, company shows signs of progress Sleepless nights, upset stomachs and paranoia were common
woes for the owners of Quality Roofing Services throughout their first year in business. "We worried about finances and thunderstorms,"
said co-owner Paul Crafton, 50, recalling the professional and personal strain. "We wondered if we would make our payroll
or go under and lose our investment." But they persevered, starting their days early-often at 5:30 a.m.-and working late.
Eventually, their efforts...
MoreBuzzing with Activity: Unique Broad Ripple biz ready to offer franchises
June 12, 2006
Scott OlsonBuzzing With ActivityUnique Broad Ripple biz ready to offer franchises For business partners Wendy Reed and Pam Weaver, life
these days is starting to look a lot like the frenzy their company name projects: Sugar Buzz. They're not really hopped up
on sweets, but the Indianapolis women are flying high nonetheless-buoyed by the glory of being featured in a national magazine
and the promise of franchising their unusual mix of children's parties and dropin day care. The longtime pals combined...
MoreDiving for Dollars: Carmel water park looks to make splash by soaking up naming-rights deals
June 12, 2006
Anthony SchoettleCarmel water park looks to make splash by soaking up naming-rights deals Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation has a novel business
plan for the $55 million Monon Center at Central Park project that includes selling sponsorships and naming rights for its
10-acre water park and other attractions, possibly even for the entire venue. The mammoth development-which will feature meeting
space along with sports facilities, including the water park and fishing lagoons-is under construction and won't open for
nine months. But the...
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See, I told u Indyman and Dipsicle....this 8 days is overkill. It's barely worth a weekend....great job Tony George! Your dream has been fulfilled....he fans want the I r l back. Thats how good it was.....and that sucked.
I have been in training for a short time now but right off I can see that safety and quality are the number one issues, my experience as of late has been a positive one, the employees along with Jeff the plant manager and the operation supervisor as well as the engineers are a highly motivated group of people, what an asset for the area to have and for company's in need of a quality metal products.
Pimlico
While I understand the severity of their actions as well as everyones eagerness to hold them responsible for thier lost funds, these gentlemen did know how to make money. Dispite thier poor decisions over the ownership of Fair they had made several wise investments which paid them greatly. This proves they do have the potential to rebuild so they can repay. I do not feel they should live the life of luxuary but given an opportunity could they find ways of repaying the debts? They are doing nothing now but being a burden on tax payers. Just a thought!!!!!
You guys have some "interesting" comments to say the least. I hope you will call in and share those opinions starting June 1. I'm looking forward to having you on the air.